Other Tips and Tricks

Mobile phone users who are not adept in using Apple gadgets often find the iPhone 4s intimidating to use at first. While this device is packed with amazing features and loads of supporting applications, navigation is very challenging and appears as a step back from old conveniences. Here are some iPhone 4s secrets and tips that will give you a better appreciation of the gadget:

1. Reminders Based on Location

Wouldn’t it be cool to receive reminders based on where you are and not based on what time it is? You may, for example, need to drop by a bakeshop to purchase a birthday cake prior to going to a birthday party. With the iPhone 4s, all you need to do is to tap on the Reminders application, add an entry, hit the “Remind Me” tab, and turn the “At a Location” feature on. This will give you an option to select your current location and to choose between “When I Leave” and “When I Arrive.” Choosing “When I Leave” will activate the reminder as soon as you leave your location.

2. Voice to Text

In certain situations, tapping messages on the iPhone is an impossible or inconvenient task. You should never try manually composing text messages while driving as it may lead to disastrous results. While Siri can certainly help in this department, another option would be to use the tiny microphone icon found on your keyboard. Activating this button will allow you to directly speak on the phone, which will in turn convert it into text.

3. Screen Shots

You have probably wondered how your friend posted a screen shot of his SMS message thread or his funny Siri discussions on Facebook, and possibly concluded that it involved an application that needs to be downloaded from the App Store. The screen shot feature is actually built in on your iPhone 4s. All you need to do is to simultaneously press the sleep and home buttons. This action will produce a camera shutter sound, which is an indication that a screen shot image has been conveniently saved in your camera roll.

4. Go Back to the Top

When browsing through your emails or checking your Twitter timeline, scrolling down a long list of unread messages takes several takes forever to go back to the top of the screen and can be very frustrating. A faster way of doing this would be to simply tap on the status bar at the top of the screen (where the time is located). This action will automatically bring you back to the top of the screen and will save you time and effort.

5. Siri and Your Relations

Siri can easily remember people who are related to you, and you can give out commands such as “call my brother” or “send a message to my mother.” Simply tell Siri that “John Doe is my brother” or “Jane Doe is my mother” and she will take care of the rest. Alternatively, you can go to Contacts and edit your personal entry. Tap on Add Field, scroll to “Related People,” and add your relations. It has a list of default relations, but you also have a choice to add your own personal custom labels.

6. Personal Hotspot

Some iPhone 4s users are surprised when they are told that their phones can also serve as a personal Wi-Fi zone. It extends the internet connection provided by the data service and provides connectivity to devices in the near vicinity. To activate, simply go to Settings and tap on the “Personal Hotspot” tab to turn it on. It will give you an option to change your Wi-Fi password for better protection and security. Other users may connect to the internet thru Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or by connecting using USB. Be warned that this may eat up your data plan and may result to extra charges from your carrier.

The iPhone 4s brings the mobile phone experience to the next level but you need to explore its functionalities in order to maximize the benefits. There are dozens of other secrets that are waiting to be discovered and all it will take is research and hands on usage.